RANGA'S Marriage (English) HS First Year

 RANGA'S MARRIAGE 

Q.Comment on the influence of English—the language and the way of life— on Indian life as reflected in the story. What is the narrator’s attitude to English?

Answer : The narrator says that over the last ten years the English language has made inroads into the Indian countryside. Now there are many who know English. During the holidays, one comes across them on every street, talking in English. They bring in English words even while talking in Kannada. The narrator considers it disgraceful. He illustrates his point of view by giving an example. A bundle of firewood was bought at Rama Rao’s house. Rama Rao’s son asked the woman how much he should give her. When she said, “Four pice”, the boy told her that he did not have any “change” and asked her to come the next day. The poor woman did not understand the English word “change” and went away muttering to herself. Thus the use of English language before a native Kannada speaker caused confusion.

    Ranga was influenced by the English way of life. Like them he wanted to marry a mature girl and not a young present-day bride. He told the narrator that he would marry when he grew a bit older. Secondly, he wanted to marry a girl he admired. He was not in favour of arranged marriages. This shows the influence of the English way of life on modern young educated Indians. The narrator did not approve of it.

Q. Astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture than what they learn from the study of the stars. Comment with reference to the story.

Answer : The author seems to be having a dig at the astrologers through the words of the narrator in the chapter. The story gives a graphic description of how the narrator employs the astrologer to make the unwilling Ranga marry a girl. The narrator taught the astrologer what to be told to Ranga beforehand. The Shastri took out two sheets of paper, some cowries and a book of palmyra leaves. He called astrology an ancient science. He moved his lips fast as he counted on his fingers. He did some calculations before telling Ranga that he was thinking about a girl. She had the name of something that is found in the ocean. He assured them that their negotiations would definitely bear fruit. Ranga was impressed by the science of astrology.

     That evening the narrator mocked astrology by saying, “What a marvellous shastra yours is!”The Shastri didn’t like it and said that he could have found it out himself from his shastra. This shows that astrologers’ perceptions are based more on hearsay and conjecture them what they learn from the study of the stars.

Q. Indian society has moved a long way from the way the marriage is arranged in the story. Discuss.

Answer : In the past, marriages in India were usually arranged by parents/relatives. The story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’ shows how the narrator arranges Ranga’s marriage with the help of the astrologer. After independence, certain changes have come in the economic and social set-up of the Indian society. Women's education and access to jobs have changed the attitude of modern males towards them. A girl is now accepted as a partner and they are young boys now don't marry girls only for dowry. Early marriages have been banned legally. The minimum age for marriage for a girl is 18 and for a boy it is 21. By this time they attain physical, emotional and mental maturity. Indian society has certainly moved a long way from the time of arranged marriages when the formal consent of the bride/bridegroom was taken for granted and the elders fixed everything.

Q.What kind of a person do you think the narrator is?

Answer : The narrator, Shyama, is dark in colour. He calls himself’ ‘a dark piece of oil-cake’. He is an elderly gentleman. He is a keen observer of men and manners. He notices the influence of English—the language and the way of life on Indian society. He considers the use of English words in Kannada conversation disgraceful. He does not approve of the English custom of love-marriage either. He is a good judge of human character. He thinks that Ranga would make a good husband. The narrator is a good strategist. He cleverly calls Ranga to his home when Ratna is singing a song. He notices Ranga’s reaction and interest in her and arouses his curiosity by arranging a meeting with the astrologer. First he says that Ratna is married, but when he finds Ranga deeply interested in her, he confesses that he was wrongly informed. In short, the narrator tries his utmost to get the marriage fixed.

Q. What does the narrator say about Hosahalli?

Answer : There is no mention of Hosahalli village in geography books written by the sahibs in England or Indian writers. No cartographer has put it on the map. The narrator highlights its importance by comparing it to the filling of the karigadubu—a festival meal

Q.What are the two special products of Hosahalli and in what respect?

Answer : The village of Hosahalli has two very distinguished features. The mango trees growing in the village of Hosahalli are extremely sour. Even a bite from them can take the sourness straight to the brahmarandhra. Secondly, the leaves of the creepers growing around the village are quite fascinating.

Q. What happened when Ranga returned to his village from the city of Bangalore?

Answer : Ranga’s homecoming was a great event. The crowds milled around his house to see whether he had changed or not. People were quite excited as the boy was returning home after studying English at Bangalore. Everyone was surprised to see that Ranga was the same as he had been six months ago, when he had first left the village.

Q. How did the old lady satisfy herself about Ranga?

Answer : The old lady ran her hand over Ranga’s chest. She looked into his eyes. She was satisfied to find the sacred thread on his body. She was happy that he had not lost his caste.

Q.“What has happened is disgraceful, believe me” says the narrator. What does he refer to? How does he illustrate his point of view?

Answer : The narrator refers to the use of English words in Kannada conversation as disgraceful. He calls this mixing up of languages ‘disgraceful’. He gives the example of the use of the English word ‘change’ to an illiterate person.

Q. Why does the narrator refer to the Black Hole of Calcutta?

Answer : During British rule, hundreds of persons were kept inside a single room. The next morning most of them were found dead due to suffocation. The narrator uses the expression ‘Black Hole of Calcutta’ to suggest the large number of people who had turned up to see Ranga.

Q. How did Ranga greet the narrator? In what respect did he differ from the present- day boys?

Answer: Ranga greeted the narrator with full devotion. He not only folded his hands, but also bent low to touch his feet. A present-day boy would stand stiff like a pole without joints, keep head towards the sun and jerk his body as if it were either a hand or a walking stick. The narrator, being old fashioned, did not approve it.

Q. When did Ranga plan to marry and why?

Answer : Ranga did not want to get married at an early age. He wanted to find the right girl. She should be mature enough to understand his love. Secondly, he wished to marry a girl he admired. He was against marrying quite young girls who had no manners.

Q.“Ranga was just the boy for her and she was the most suitable bride for him” says the narrator. Who is ‘she’? What led the narrator to this conclusion?

Answer : ‘She’ here stands for Ratna, the niece of Rama Rao. She was a pretty girl of eleven. She knew how to play the veena and the harmonium. She also had a sweet voice. All these qualities made her a suitable bride for a young, educated man like Ranga.

Q. How did the narrator let Ranga have a glimpse of Ratna?

Answer: The narrator arranged the meeting very systematically. First he called Ratna on the pretext of sending buttermilk through her. Then he asked her to sing a song. Meanwhile Ranga, whom he had sent for, reached the door. He became curious to see the singer and peeped in. His presence at the door blocked the light and Ratna stopped singing abruptly.

Q. How did Ranga and Ratna react to their unexpected encounter?

Answer : Ratna stopped singing abruptly on seeing a stranger outside the room. Ranga felt disappointed when the singing stopped. Ratna stood at a distance with her head lowered. Ranga repeatedly glanced at her. He blamed himself for the singing to stop and offered to leave. Ratna was overcome by shyness and ran inside. Ranga enquired about her.

Q."The best way of getting to know a place is to visit it.” Which place does Masti Venkatesha Iyengar refer to? What do you know about it?

Answer : The author refers to Hosahalli, the village of Rangappa and the narrator. From the narrator’s point of view it is an important village in the Mysore state. People may not have heard of it, as there is no mention of it in Geography books. The place has been ignored both by British and Indian authors. No cartographer has put it on the map. 

      The raw mangoes from the mango trees in the village are quite sour. The extreme potency of the sourness of these mangoes is amply illustrated by the comment: “Just take a bite. The sourness is sure to go straight to your brahmarandhra.” The creeper growing in the village pond had beautiful flowers and broad leaves. The latter can serve as plates for serving afternoon meals. The village doctor Gundabhatta also speaks glowingly of Hosahalli.

Q. What steps did the narrator take to get Ranga married to Ratna?

Answer: The narrator was intimate with Rama Rao’s family. He knew that his niece Ratna would be a suitable wife for Ranga. So firstly he created an opportunity where Ranga might listen to Ratna’s song and have a glimpse of her. He arranged this sudden encounter of two strangers at his home. The reaction of the two youngsters was on expected one. Ranga seemed interested in her. Ratna felt shy. In order to test the intensity of Ranga’s feelings towards Ratna, the narrator said that she had been married a year ago. Ranga looked as if he had lost all his hope. Then the narrator tutored an astrologer and took Ranga to him. Shastri, the astrologer, gave sufficient assurance that there was no hitch in his marriage to a girl whose name was that of something found in the ocean.

        While returning from the Shastri’s house, they saw Ratna standing alone in her uncle’s house. The narrator went in for a moment and brought the news that Ratna was not married. After knowing Ranga’s views, the marriage was fixed.

Q.Comment on the title of the story ‘Ranga’s Marriage’.

Answer : The title of the story is quite appropriate and suggestive. It at once sums up the theme of the story. The whole story has one central issue: Ranga's marriage. It begins with Ranga’s refusal to marry and ends with his blissful married life. All the incidents contribute to the central theme.

         The writer has presented the working of a young educated Indian’s mind and heart. He is easily influenced by the English way of life and customs. He wants to adopt them in his own life as well. The narrator, who is his well-wisher, takes deep interest in him and takes active steps to arouse his interest and fascination in a young girl, Ratna, he makes Ranga agree to marry her. Thus Ranga’s one condition for marriage is fulfilled—he knows the girl and loves her. She does not fulfil the other condition of being a mature girl in twenties—she is just eleven at that time.